Students from around the country say they were attracted to the University of Wyoming because of the university's low tuition costs and financial assistance available to Army ROTC cadets.
Lt. Col. Mitch Day, UW's Army ROTC commander, says the Washington Higher Education Board tuition and fees report ranks UW No. 1 for the lowest undergraduate tuition and fees for residents and No. 2 for nonresident undergraduate tuition and fees.
Along with low tuition, Army ROTC cadets may receive scholarships that are used for educational expenses. Day says the Military Science Program averages 70 cadets a year and commissions 10-15 per year as second lieutenants.
The Gottsman Army Medical Professional Scholarship and the Colonel David Y. Hurwitz Memorial Scholarship are examples of scholarships available to cadets in addition to the National ROTC Scholarships.
Cadet Zachary Goldman of Durango, Colo., a senior of the UW ROTC Cowboy Battalion, says he applied for but was not awarded a National ROTC Scholarship, so he paid for his first semester out of pocket.
"I sort of fell into UW ROTC, and I applied for a five-year scholarship, which I was awarded," he says. "The Army paid me back for my first semester."
UW ROTC receives funding from the Wyoming Legislature in the form of the UW Army ROTC Room and Board Scholarship that covers living and dining expenses.
Army ROTC receives about $52,000 a semester and divides that among applicants who meet the criteria for the room and board scholarship. In 2010, the amount ranged from $500 to $3,000 per individual award.
Cadet Katie Varney, a criminal justice major from Meredith, N.H., and senior in the UW ROTC program, says the ROTC funding allows her to focus on grades and leadership training without the need for a job. As a result, Varney is a front-runner for an active duty commission in the Military Intelligence Branch.
"With scholarships, I don't have financial worries like other students these days. The room and board scholarship I get from UW ROTC takes the stress of rent out of the equation," Varney says.
Cadet Nicole Stamper of Clearwater Beach, Fla., a senior studying international studies, says, "The UW ROTC program was ranked fifth in the nation when I applied, and has consistently ranked in the top 10 since I have been here."
For more information about the UW Army ROTC program and scholarships, contact 2nd Lt. Deane James, (307) 766-3391, email armyrotc@uwyo.edu.
